


The Improper Use of Hashtags

by Angelfish2603



Category: Holby City
Genre: bernie's texting skills
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 11:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13716951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelfish2603/pseuds/Angelfish2603
Summary: About Bernie's #textingskills...Also, I'm an American, so please excuse any words I may or may not have misspelled due to my Americanisms.





	The Improper Use of Hashtags

Serena heard her phone ping, closed her eyes for a brief moment, sending a prayer to any deity listening that it was not another HR issue. She hadn't been here that long; there was only so much she could handle before even the incense and the meditating wouldn't work. The only cure for the frankly ridiculous HR concerns that came across her desk each day was Shiraz, and lots of it. Serena opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded herself why she was here. 

Yes, she had always wanted to be CEO. 

No, she did not want to be now. Not when Bernie was so far away, and they had plans. 

Yes, she had decided to stay because Jason. And Ric, Oliver, Hanssen, and the hospital.  

No, despite her hatred of office romance, she was not immune to them. But at least she and Bernie hadn't ever gone into the store cupboard!

(That wasn't true, Serena chided herself as she reached across the desk for her mobile. They just hadn't gotten caught.)

Serena's face split into a grin as she opened her phone, saw the notification. _Bernie_. 

_From Bernie:_

_Had a rough day today, needed something to remind me of home. I know you're busy being amazing, but wanted to check in. Miss you and your #beautifulface. #loveyoumore_  

Serena let out an amused chuckle at the text. Bernie loved hashtags. She used them all the time now. It drove Cameron and Charlotte mad. Which of course made Bernie use them more often, and more inappropriately. 

 Serena snapped a quick selfie, attached it to her text. She crinkled her nose as she replied, reminding Bernie of their planned Skype session once she was out of the hospital for the day. 

  _From Serena:_

_Does this help? I miss you too, and being busy doesn't help that at all. At least we get to see each in 2 hours and counting! #loveyoumost_

 Serena chuckled as she hit Send, thinking back to the conversation they'd had about hashtags at the vineyard before Bernie went to Sudan and she had gone to Nepal. 

 

  

Six months before:

 "I don't understand. Why are you using the numbers sign at the end of each twitter?" Bernie asked, exasperated as Cam and Charlotte leaned over the back of the sofa to show Bernie the Twitter account they had set up for her. Across the room, curled up in an armchair, Serena was trying very hard to not laugh at the disgruntled look on her partner's face. It matched the look on both of her children's faces. 

"It's called a hashtag, Mum." Charlotte replied, just as annoyed, except at her mother's inability to use technology. "And it tags things so users can find them."

"And it's called a tweet, not a Twitter." Cameron corrected, lifting his eyes to Serena, who was grinning. "A little help, please, Serena?" 

"Bernie, dear," Serena said, patiently. Bernie looked up at her, dark eyes sparkling with mirth. "Hashtags are used to tag something in order to search for it later. Twitter is the platform, the little things themselves are tweets, and I am officially your third follower."

"You followed me?" Bernie's face softened, and Charlotte nudged Cameron, rolled her eyes fondly. Cam grinned. 

"Anywhere." Serena promised, winking. Bernie's grin widened, both of them aware that once Serena's retreat to Nepal was done, once Bernie had finished in Sudan, they would be heading to Nairobi, to open an new trauma center. Serena had decided to do the retreat once Bernie arrived in France. They had talked a lot about how much had changed, how Serena needed to find a better, healthier way to deal with stress than her fall back of too much Shiraz and a cigarette. Bernie knew one of the therapists, had worked with them in her RAMC days, and got Serena in on short notice. They were going their separate ways in a matter of days, which was why Cameron and Charlotte had decided to come out to the vineyard to see them both. 

Bernie had been worried about the kids being there, Serena knew, but she was better. She would never be the way she had been before Elinor died, but she was healing. Serena smiled back, letting her eyes rest on her partner, surrounded by her children, looking far happier and healthier than she had when she arrived a few months beforehand. 

"Okay. Stop making heart eyes at each other. Back to Twitter if you please." Charlotte announced as she came around the sofa, sank next to her mum, whose cheeks were brushed with pink now. "Cam and I both followed you, and here..." Charlotte grabbed Bernie's mobile, clicked a few times. "Now you follow both of us, and Serena."

"Hashtag awesome." Bernie said, unable to keep her lips from twitching as Charlotte and Cameron both visibly winced. 

"No." Cameron said, firmly, sitting down on the arm of Serena's chair. Serena sniggered. "Don't you ever say that again."

"What?" Bernie asked, innocently. Serena covered her mouth uselessly with her hand. "Hashtag what did I do?"

"Mum." Charlotte whined, covering her face with her hands. "No. Not how hashtags work!"

"Do I use them on The Facebook?"

"No one uses Facebook anymore, darling." Serena piped up, quickly. Cam and Charlotte both nodded, glad that at least their mother's partner wasn't totally antiquated like their mum. Honestly, who said  _The Facebook_ anyway? 

"Probably for the best. I logged myself out ages ago and God knows my password." Bernie paused, smirked. "What about in texting?"

"No!" Cam and Charlotte both exclaimed. Bernie met Serena's eyes, both pairs sparkling. That did them both in, and they started laughing. 

"Hashtag totes gonna." Serena quipped, tears in her eyes as they laughed. Cam and Charlotte shared a look. 

Perhaps both Serena and Bernie were useless. 

 

Later that night, Bernie crawled into bed, minty fresh and sleepy. Serena was reading, her new reading glasses perched on her nose. Bernie looked at her for a moment, then grabbed her phone, typed quickly. Serena looked up when her phone pinged and she glanced at it, chuckled.  

_From Bernie:_

_Didn't know I had a #librarianfetish until I saw the glasses, Campbell. #Superhot_  

 

"This is going to be a thing now, isn't it?" Serena asked, her voice quiet and amused. Bernie grinned up at her. 

"Hashtag totally."

"I love you, you absolute loon." Serena set her phone down, leaned down to kiss Bernie good night. "How long before the kids just accept that we are both losers?"

"Oh, they've known that about me forever. You still have a chance." Bernie yawned widely, snuggled down into the bed. Serena set her book aside, laid her glasses on top before shutting the light out, laying down. 

"Good to know. Good night, darling."

"Night, dear. Love you more." Bernie yawned again, slid closer to lay her head at Serena's shoulder. Serena pressed a kiss to Bernie's forehead, smiled against the ruffled fringe.  

"Love you most." 

 

Back in her office, Serena smiled at the memory, at Cam and Charlotte's absolute horror at Bernie's wild and unabashed use of hashtags. She glanced at her watch, sighed. 

Another hour and a half to go before she could go home and see her partner's face. 

God, she #missedher. 

**Author's Note:**

> I had to. My friends and I use hashtags incorrectly all the time in Skype chats and texts. It's how we emphasize certain things. After seeing everyone's "OMG BERNIE YOU'RE SUCH A DORK" response to the hashtags in her text to Serena, I thought...what if it wasn't Bernie being, well, Bernie, and instead it's an inside joke?


End file.
